12.16.16
What a week!!! Filming The Chew on Wednesday was a blast. Everyone was so nice there! I had such a great time. And you can catch me on Monday, the 19th. I close out the show, so the last three minutes belong to ME. It’s like this week is trying to make up for the rest of 2016 sucking so hard. It’s doing a pretty good job though. I’m so excited to post about the crossover collaboration I took part in this week!! As most of you know, I’m an actor, and this blog has become a really exciting creative outlet for me. It allows me to combine other things I love in life, like style and baking, and put it out there consistently. Acting is hardly ever consistent, and you’re never in control of the jobs you book because of so many random variables that if I told you just a fraction of them would blow your mind. Well, I am certainly not the only actor to take creativity into my own hands. My friend, Leah has done the same. She’s a wonderful actor who, like me, wanted a creative outlet when she wasn’t working on a show. Coincidentally, she debuted her podcast, The Compass, the same week I debuted this blog!! So we’ve both been on this side-project journey, and we have finally brought our projects together. Leah came over and baked a berry crisp with me (which we demolished almost in its entirety within one sitting) and I was a guest on her podcast, which talks to artists about dealing with the industry, fighting the dark times, and the journey thus far. I’ve loved listening to it since she first started because it’s made me realize that no matter what level of “success” people seem to have, we’re all battling similar demons. You can download it on iTunes, but also go to her Facebook page here and follow it to get updates. It’s a great thing to listen to on the train, or if you need to escape from life a little.
And I had to finish off Cranberry Week with one more warm weather piece you can gussy up for the fall and winter. I took a pair of shorts, and surprise surprise threw some tights on, a cozy sweater and called it a day. And patterned or textured tights are great when everything is earth tones, it adds a fun detail.
Can I talk about how easy it is to make a crisp and how absolutely DELICIOUS it is!!! Oh my god, Leah and I let it cool a bit and then dug in, it was still warm when we went back for seconds. What a treat. If only I had vanilla ice cream we might have had dessert mind explosion because nothing could have topped it. This is yet another no mixer needed recipe, that you can throw together within minutes, place it in the oven and you’re done. Also adding in the minced ginger? A nice touch.
I’ve worn this outfit a few times and adding the sweater instantly takes it into fall. This could easily be worn with some boots too, heels are definitely a commitment.
Of course these pictures were taken before New York temperatures decided to plummet in the past few days!!! There’s no way I could wear this right now without my puffy sleeping bag coat.
Happy weekend, I hope I brought a little cranberry into your life! Go listen to Leah’s podcast in case you want to know the demons I battle, that I hardly ever mention here. And then listen to her other podcasts with other great artists!!! Christmas is coming, I’m planning on a few holiday (ish) recipes to share, but who knows, life could too crazy to get them up in time. I definitely think I can squeeze in at least two right? You have faith in me, right???
Wear it:
H&M Sweater [old] (similar) / H&M Blouse [old] (similar) / The Limited Shorts [so old] (similar) / Similar Shoes
Cranberry Crisp
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 12 oz (1 bag) of fresh cranberries
- 2 pints (about 2 cups) of blackberries
- 1 Tbsp minced ginger
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
For the Topping
- 1 cup oats
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup butter, cold, sliced
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- In a medium bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients gently with a spatula, making sure the berries are evenly covered
- In another medium bowl mix together all the topping ingredients, except the butter
- Add in half the sliced butter and with a pastry cutter or two forks, mix in the butter until crumbs form
- Add in the remaining butter and repeat process
- Pour the filling into a 9″ pie dish (you may want to spoon it in with a slotted spoon so the excess juice doesn’t go into the dish)
- Sprinkle the topping liberally over the filling
- Bake for one hour, allow to cool slightly before eating
- This can be enjoyed warm or room temperature
